Israel's Complaint About IAEA's Delay in Visiting Iran's Suspected Nuclear Sites

Israel claims that the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has either not visited or has conducted late inspections of a "large number of suspected sites" in Iran, where nuclear activities are suspected, despite receiving information about them. Haaretz reported this claim from Israeli officials on Sunday, September 17, just before the Israeli Prime Minister's meeting with the U.S. President to discuss Iran. According to the report, Israeli officials complain that IAEA inspectors have preferred to avoid confrontation with Iran due to its opposition to inspections of certain sites, and that inspections at some sites have only occurred after a long period during which "Iranians created multiple problems." Haaretz writes that information regarding activities at Iran's "suspected sites" was provided to the IAEA by "an entity in a Western country" and was also transferred to several global powers that signed the JCPOA; however, the report does not specify the identity of this "entity". The report states that the relevant information was provided to the IAEA "months after the implementation of the JCPOA" began. The nuclear agreement between Iran and global powers, known as the JCPOA, was reached in July 2015 and implemented from early winter of that year. According to Haaretz, the information pertains to sites in Iran that the Tehran government has not informed the IAEA about, but where "prohibited" activities related to Iran's nuclear development program have taken place. An Israeli official described by Haaretz as "a source familiar with nuclear negotiations" told the newspaper that while there was "a long list of Iran's suspected sites that were not mentioned in the JCPOA and Iran opposes oversight of them, no one (in the IAEA) has been willing to oversee these sites." This Israeli official added that there came a point when Israel became frustrated that it "really cannot talk to anyone in the IAEA" because it is faced with a "parade of weakness" from the IAEA regarding anything related to Iran. The official also stated that Iran has "managed to convince the IAEA that it can show inspectors any site it wants and hide any site it does not want them to see." The newspaper noted that Israel's "strong opposition" to the JCPOA is at the forefront of discussions this week between Benjamin Netanyahu and Donald Trump, with the Israeli Prime Minister presenting a series of specific proposals to change or cancel the JCPOA to the U.S. President. Mr. Netanyahu, who arrived in New York last Friday evening, will meet with Donald Trump on Monday, September 18, and will also speak on the first day of the 72nd session of the United Nations General Assembly the following day. Mr. Netanyahu stated before leaving Mexico City for New York that expressing his positions regarding Iran is at the top of his discussions with world leaders in New York. The Israeli Prime Minister said last week during his visit to Argentina, "We clearly say that the JCPOA is a bad agreement that must be canceled or amended." In this context, Haaretz reported on Friday that Israeli intelligence and security agencies have differing views from Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Avigdor Lieberman, who are trying to push the U.S. to withdraw from the JCPOA. Donald Trump has promised that his administration's position on the JCPOA will be made "soon" clear, and according to Haaretz, the Trump administration shares a similar view with Israel regarding the weaknesses of the JCPOA. While Israel criticizes the IAEA's performance regarding Iran and remains a staunch opponent of the JCPOA, it has deliberately kept its own nuclear capabilities ambiguous. At the same time, according to international media, Israel has been a military nuclear power for decades that has never allowed the IAEA to inspect its nuclear facilities.